Gareth Southgate has always looked to utilize a midfield two often consisting of Declan Rice and one other player. During their impressive Euro 2020 (21) campaign, Kalvin Phillips was the player to partner Rice and ended up winning England’s player of the year for his strong performances. However, since then he has struggled with injuries, and every time he looks to build up a run of games, he’s found himself injured again.
This has led to the inclusion of Jude Bellingham in the midfield two, with Southgate preferring him next to Rice rather than in the advanced, freer role that he plays for club, Borussia Dortmund. Is this the right thing to do, or would it be more beneficial if they were to push him higher up the pitch?
Jude Bellingham has taken on an all-action role in the Bundesliga, primarily playing in a double pivot for Dortmund, but is very much a final 3rd player. He contributes with 2.57 shots per 90, and is a top shot-creator, averaging 2.29 shot-creating actions per 90.
Bellingham excels at ball carrying, he ranks in the 98th percentile for progressive carries amongst all Bundesliga midfielders this season, and the 98th percentile for total carrying distance. He’s able to collect the ball from a deeper zone and progress from there, aided by his strong athleticism to be able to carry it so well.
However, unlike Kalvin Phillips, Jude Bellingham is not a midfield controller, and is not a high volume player. He does not have the passing range of Phillips which England tend to miss when he’s injured. Whilst completing the 3rd most passes out of any England player against Germany, he tends to struggle to impose himself on games in the midfield role, which may also be down to Southgate’s setup.
We’ve seen Maguire and Stones be ever-present in Southgate’s sides, whether that’s in a back 4 or a back 3 due to their excellent passing ability. In this press conference, Southgate claims that the side don’t require a progressive midfielder, however England were on a 550 minute goal drought whilst employing these tactics.
Bellingham’s suitability in the England midfield will ultimately depend on the system that Southgate employs during the World Cup. If he sticks to the 3-4-3 setup that the players are used to, it would make much more sense to utilise Phillips in that role as he is far better. Bellingham could therefore be re-profiled within the England setup as one of the forward three players, potentially in direct competition for Mason Mount who plays as the creator.
Without a doubt, Jude Bellingham has a huge future ahead of him. His suitability for this role will ultimately depend on how he matures in the next month at Borussia Dortmund, and how he can adapt to the deeper pivot role. However, since he isn’t a high volume midfielder, Southgate is likely to prefer Phillips over him
